1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to hand tools and more particularly to hand tools adapted for use with threaded rods.
2. Description of Prior Art
A threaded rod is a metal rod having a continuous thread about its exterior. The thread may be “right handed” or “left handed”, describing how the thread winds about the rod. Most threaded rods have right hand threads. Unlike a bolt, a threaded rod does not have an end protuberance for gripping. A threaded rod is typically used by inserting one or both ends into threaded holes, though nuts may also be placed thereon.
The convention for describing a threaded rod is to provide the diameter of the threaded rod in fractions of an inch and to provide the number of threads per inch. For example, one might ask for a “½-13 threaded rod,” which would describe a threaded rod having a nominal diameter of one half of an inch, and having thirteen threads to the inch as measured along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod. Metric measurements of threaded rods are also common. In addition to the diameter of the threaded rod and the thread count, the thread of a threaded rod may also be characterized by its pitch and thread profile. Often these are standardized for ease of use, but they may also vary.
Threaded rods are commonly used in many mechanical applications. They are particularly found in small engines. Threaded rods may need to be adjusted or removed from their threaded holes, or reinserted therein. Over time, the threaded rod may become tightly bound to the threaded hole, making removal or adjustment of the threaded rod difficult, or the threaded hole may become dirty or damaged, making insertion of a threaded rod therein difficult.
Previously, persons needing to remove, adjust, or insert a tightly bound threaded rod from a threaded hole have had several less than optimal options. One method commonly used is the two-nut method. The user places two nuts onto the threaded rod, one on top of the other, thereby “locking” them against each other. After locking the nuts against each other, one of the nuts is gripped with a gripping device and then rotated, thereby rotating the threaded rod along with it (on a threaded rod having a right hand thread, to loosen the rod the lower nut is gripped and rotated, while to tighten the rod the upper nut is gripped and rotated; if the thread is left handed, the process is reversed). This method is time consuming and risks locking the nuts onto the threaded rod. It also cannot work where both ends of the threaded rod are inserted into threaded holes or are otherwise inaccessible.
A second method commonly used is to wrap a rag around the threaded rod and place a clamping device onto the rag, such as a vice grip or locking pliers. The rag is gripped with enough force to allow for rotation of the threaded rod. However, in applying sufficient force there is a risk that the threads of the rod will be damaged. The rag itself offers little protection. Gauging the exact amount of force necessary to move the rod but not to damage its thread is extremely difficult, and made even more so by the varying thicknesses of rags. The most common damage to a thread that occurs when using this method is to break or bend the crest of the thread, such that the distanced between the crests and/or flanks of the thread are no longer uniform. This prevents the thread from mating with another thread, either found in a nut or in a threaded hole.
A third method used is to grip the threaded rod directly with a clamping device. This frequently results in the destruction of a portion of the threads, through bending or breaking, and renders the threaded rod useless.
None of the foregoing methods adequately addresses the problem of removing, adjusting, or inserting a threaded rod easily and without damage to its threads. There is thus a need to overcome the deficiencies of the known art and to provide a device to easily and safely remove, adjust, or insert threaded rods.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide an improved hand tool for use with threaded rods which can be used to rotate a threaded rod with out damaging its thread.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide an improved hand tool for use with threaded rods which can be used to easily rotate a threaded rod.
It is yet a further objective of this invention to provide an improved hand tool for use with threaded rods which is easy and cost efficient to manufacture.
It is yet a further objective of this invention to provide a set of improved hand tools for use with many different sizes of threaded rods.
Other objectives of this invention will be evident from the following disclosure.